HESS Research Articles

Detection of very high-energy gamma-ray emission from Eta Carinae during its 2020 periastron passage

The colliding-wind binary system η Carinae has been identified as a source of high-energy (HE, below ∼100,GeV) and very high-energy (VHE, above ∼100,GeV) gamma rays in the last decade, making it unique among these systems. With its eccentric 5.5-year-long orbit, the periastron passage, during which the stars are separated by only $1-2$,au, is an intriguing time interval to probe particle acceleration processes within the system. In this work, we report on an extensive VHE observation campaign that for the first time covers the full periastron passage carried out with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) in its 5-telescope configuration with upgraded cameras. The VHE gamma-ray emission from η Carinae was detected during the periastron passage with a steep spectrum with the spectral index Γ= 3.3 ± stat ± syst . Together with previous and follow-up observations, we derive a long-term light curve sampling one full orbit, showing hints of an increase in the VHE flux towards periastron, but no hint of variability during the passage itself. An analysis of contemporaneous Fermi-LAT data shows that the VHE spectrum represents a smooth continuation of the HE spectrum. From modelling the combined spectrum, we conclude that the gamma-ray emission region is located at distances of $ ∼ 10 - 20$,au from the centre of mass of the system and that protons are accelerated up to energies of at least several tera-electronvolts inside the system in this phase.

High-Statistics Measurement of the Cosmic-Ray Electron Spectrum with H.E.S.S.

Owing to their rapid cooling rate and hence loss-limited propagation distance, cosmic-ray electrons and positrons (CRe) at very high energies probe local cosmic-ray accelerators and provide constraints on exotic production mechanisms such as annihilation of dark matter particles. We present a high-statistics measurement of the spectrum of CRe candidate events from 0.3 to 40TeV with the High Energy Stereoscopic System, covering 2 orders of magnitude in energy and reaching a proton rejection power of better than 10^{4}. The measured spectrum is well described by a broken power law, with a break around 1TeV, where the spectral index increases from Γ_{1}=3.25±0.02(stat)±0.2(sys) to Γ_{2}=4.49±0.04(stat)±0.2(sys). Apart from the break, the spectrum is featureless. The absence of distinct signatures at multi-TeV energies imposes constraints on the presence of nearby CRe accelerators and the local CRe propagation mechanisms.

TeV Analysis of a Source-rich Region with the HAWC Observatory: Is HESS J1809-193 a Potential Hadronic PeVatron?

HESS J1809-193 is an unidentified TeV source, first detected by the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) collaboration. The emission originates in a source-rich region that includes several supernova remnants (SNRs) and pulsars including SNR G11.1+0.1, SNR G11.0-0.0, and the young radio pulsar PSR J1809-1917. Originally classified as a pulsar wind nebula candidate, recent studies show the peak of the TeV region overlapping with a system of molecular clouds. This resulted in the revision of the original leptonic scenario to look for alternate hadronic scenarios. Marked as a potential PeVatron candidate, this region has been studied extensively by H.E.S.S. due to its emission extending up to several tens of TeV. In this work, we use 2398 days of data from the High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) observatory to carry out a systematic source search of the HESS J1809-193 region. We were able to resolve emission detected as an extended component (modelled as a symmetric Gaussian with a 1σ radius of 0.°21) with no clear cutoff at high energies and emitting photons up to 210 TeV. We model the multiwavelength observations for the region around HESS J1809-193 using a time-dependent leptonic model and a lepto-hadronic model. Our model indicates that both scenarios could explain the observed data within the region of HESS J1809-193.

Very-high-energy γ-Ray Emission from Young Massive Star Clusters in the Large Magellanic Cloud

The Tarantula Nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud is known for its high star formation activity. At its center lies the young massive star cluster R136, providing a significant amount of the energy that makes the nebula shine so brightly at many wavelengths. Recently, young massive star clusters have been suggested to also efficiently produce very high-energy cosmic rays, potentially beyond PeV energies. Here, we report the detection of very-high-energy γ-ray emission from the direction of R136 with the High Energy Stereoscopic System, achieved through a multicomponent, likelihood-based modeling of the data. This supports the hypothesis that R136 is indeed a very powerful cosmic-ray accelerator. Moreover, from the same analysis, we provide an updated measurement of the γ-ray emission from 30 Dor C, the only superbubble detected at TeV energies presently. The γ-ray luminosity above 0.5 TeV of both sources is (2–3) × 1035 erg s−1. This exceeds by more than a factor of 2 the luminosity of HESS J1646−458, which is associated with the most massive young star cluster in the Milky Way, Westerlund 1. Furthermore, the γ-ray emission from each source is extended with a significance of >3σ and a Gaussian width of about 30 pc. For 30 Dor C, a connection between the γ-ray emission and the nonthermal X-ray emission appears likely. Different interpretations of the γ-ray signal from R136 are discussed.

The population of Galactic supernova remnants in the TeV range

Context.Supernova remnants (SNRs) are likely to be significant sources of cosmic rays up to the knee of the local cosmic-ray (CR) spectrum. They produce gamma rays in the very-high-energy (VHE) (E > 0.1 TeV) range mainly via two mechanisms: hadronic interactions of accelerated protons with the interstellar medium and leptonic interactions of accelerated electrons with soft photons. Observations with current instruments have lead to the detection of about a dozen SNRs emitting VHE gamma rays and future instruments should significantly increase this number. Yet, the details of particle acceleration at SNRs and of the mechanisms producing VHE gamma-rays at SNRs remain poorly understood.Aims.We aim to study the population of SNRs detected in the TeV range and its properties and confront it to simulated samples in order to address fundamental questions concerning particle acceleration at SNR shocks. Such questions concern the spectrum of accelerated particles, the efficiency of particle acceleration, and the gamma-ray emission being dominated by hadronic or leptonic interactions.Methods.By means of Monte Carlo methods, we simulated the population of SNRs in the gamma-ray domain and confronted our simulations to the catalogue of sources from the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) Galactic Plane Survey (HGPS).Results.We systematically explored the parameter space defined in our model, including for example, the slope of accelerated particlesα, the electron-to-proton ratioKep, and the efficiency of particle accelerationξ. In particular, we found possible sets of parameters for which ≳90% of Monte Carlo realisations are found to be in agreement with the HGPS. These parameters are typically found at 4.2 ≳ α ≳ 4.1, 10−5 ≲ Kep ≲ 10−4.5, and 0.03 ≲ ξ ≲ 0.1. We are able to strongly argue against some regions of the parameter space describing the population of Galactic SNRs in the TeV range, such asα ≲ 4.05,α ≳ 4.35, orKep ≳ 10−3.Conclusions.Our model is so far able to explain the SNR population of the HGPS. Our approach, when confronted with the results of future systematic surveys, such as the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory, will help remove degeneracy from the solutions and to better understand particle acceleration at SNR shocks in the Galaxy.

H.E.S.S. observations of the 2021 periastron passage of PSR B1259-63/LS 2883

PSR B1259–63/LS 2883 is a gamma-ray binary system that hosts a pulsar in an eccentric orbit, with a 3.4 yr period, around an O9.5Ve star (LS 2883). At orbital phases close to periastron passages, the system radiates bright and variable non-thermal emission, for which the temporal and spectral properties of this emission are, for now, poorly understood. In this regard, very high-energy (VHE) emission is especially useful to study and constrain radiation processes and particle acceleration in the system. We report on an extensive VHE observation campaign conducted with the High Energy Stereoscopic System, comprised of approximately 100 h of data taken over five months, from tp − 24 days to tp + 127 days around the system’s 2021 periastron passage (where tp is the time of periastron). We also present the timing and spectral analyses of the source. The VHE light curve in 2021 is consistent overall with the stacked light curve of all previous observations. Within the light curve, we report a VHE maximum at times coincident with the third X-ray peak first detected in the 2021 X-ray light curve. In the light curve – although sparsely sampled in this time period – we see no VHE enhancement during the second disc crossing. In addition, we see no correspondence to the 2021 GeV flare in the VHE light curve. The VHE spectrum obtained from the analysis of the 2021 dataset is best described by a power law of spectral index Γ = 2.65 ± 0.04stat ± 0.04sys, a value consistent with the spectral index obtained from the analysis of data collected with H.E.S.S. during the previous observations of the source. We report spectral variability with a difference of ΔΓ = 0.56 ± 0.18stat ± 0.10sys at 95% confidence intervals, between sub-periods of the 2021 dataset. We also detail our investigation into X-ray/TeV and GeV/TeV flux correlations in the 2021 periastron passage. We find a linear correlation between contemporaneous flux values of X-ray and TeV datasets, detected mainly after tp + 25 days, suggesting a change in the available energy for non-thermal radiation processes. We detect no significant correlation between GeV and TeV flux points, within the uncertainties of the measurements, from ∼tp − 23 days to ∼tp + 126 days. This suggests that the GeV and TeV emission originate from different electron populations.

Spectrum and extension of the inverse-Compton emission of the Crab Nebula from a combined Fermi-LAT and H.E.S.S. analysis

The Crab Nebula is a unique laboratory for studying the acceleration of electrons and positrons through their non-thermal radiation. Observations of very-high-energy γ rays from the Crab Nebula have provided important constraints for modelling its broadband emission. We present the first fully self-consistent analysis of the Crab Nebula’s γ-ray emission between 1 GeV and ∼100 TeV, that is, over five orders of magnitude in energy. Using the open-source software package GAMMAPY, we combined 11.4 yr of data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope and 80 h of High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) data at the event level and provide a measurement of the spatial extension of the nebula and its energy spectrum. We find evidence for a shrinking of the nebula with increasing γ-ray energy. Furthermore, we fitted several phenomenological models to the measured data, finding that none of them can fully describe the spatial extension and the spectral energy distribution at the same time. Especially the extension measured at TeV energies appears too large when compared to the X-ray emission. Our measurements probe the structure of the magnetic field between the pulsar wind termination shock and the dust torus, and we conclude that the magnetic field strength decreases with increasing distance from the pulsar. We complement our study with a careful assessment of systematic uncertainties.

Multi-view Deep Learning for Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes

This research note concerns the application of deep-learning-based multi-view-imaging techniques to data from the High Energy Stereoscopic System Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope array. We find that the earlier the fusion of layer information from different views takes place in the neural network, the better our model performs with this data. Our analysis shows that the point in the network where the information from the different views is combined is far more important for the model performance than the method used to combine the information.

Constraint on Lorentz invariance violation from Vela pulsar

The High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) Collaboration reported the discovery of a novel radiation component from the Vela pulsar by their Cherenkov telescopes. It is of great importance that gamma rays with energies of at least 20 TeV are recorded unexpectedly. The H.E.S.S. Collaboration argued that such results may challenge the state-of-the-art models for the high-energy emission of pulsars. We point out in this work that these results also provide a unique opportunity to constrain certain Lorentz invariance violation parameters, leading to the realization of studying Lorentz invariance violation by using gamma-ray pulsars. The Lorentz invariance violation scale is constrained at the level of 1.66\\,\ imes10^{17}$ ?> GeV for the linear scenario, and 3.53\\,\ imes10^{10}$ ?> GeV for the quadratic scenario. We anticipate that digging into the detailed features of the data of the Vela pulsar and analyzing potentially more very-high-energy photon data from pulsars in the future would improve the constraints on Lorentz invariance violation.

Constraining the Astrophysical Origin of Intergalactic Magnetic Fields

High-energy photons can produce electron–positron pairs upon interacting with the extragalactic background light. These pairs will in turn be deflected by the intergalactic magnetic field (IGMF), before possibly up-scattering photons of the cosmic microwave background, thereby initiating an electromagnetic cascade. The nonobservation of an excess of GeV photons and an extended halo around individual blazars due to this electromagnetic cascade can be used to constrain the properties of the IGMF. In this work, we use publicly available data of 1ES 0229+200 obtained with the Fermi Large Area Telescope and the High Energy Stereoscopic System to constrain cosmological MHD simulations of various magnetogenesis scenarios, and find that all models without a strong space-filling primordial component or overoptimistic dynamo amplifications can be excluded at the 95% confidence level. In fact, we find that the fraction of space filled by a strong IGMF has to be at least f ≳ 0.67, thus excluding most astrophysical production scenarios. Moreover, we set lower limits of B 0 > 5.1 × 10−15 G (B 0 > 1.0 × 10−14 G) for a space-filling primordial IGMF for a blazar activity time of Δt = 104 yr (Δt = 107 yr).

A Photohadronic Interpretation of H.E.S.S. Afterglow Observations of GRB 221009A

The High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) started observing the extremely powerful long-duration gamma-ray burst (GRB) GRB 221009A starting 53 hr after the triggering event. The H.E.S.S. collaboration carried out observations on 2022 October 11, 12, and 17 under poor atmospheric conditions, without detecting significant very-high-energy photons from the source and computed the upper limits of the fluxes for the different nights. We study these flux upper limits by using the photohadronic model and show that the interaction of high-energy protons with synchrotron seed photons in the forward-shock region of the GRB jet exhibits behavior compatible with the upper limits computed by the H.E.S.S. collaboration.

Acceleration and transport of relativistic electrons in the jets of the microquasar SS 433.

SS 433 is a microquasar, a stellar binary system that launches collimated relativistic jets. We observed SS 433 in gamma rays using the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) and found an energy-dependent shift in the apparent position of the gamma-ray emission from the parsec-scale jets. These observations trace the energetic electron population and indicate that inverse Compton scattering is the emission mechanism of the gamma rays. Our modeling of the energy-dependent gamma-ray morphology constrains the location of particle acceleration and requires an abrupt deceleration of the jet flow. We infer the presence of shocks on either side of the binary system, at distances of 25 to 30 parsecs, and that self-collimation of the precessing jets forms the shocks, which then efficiently accelerate electrons.

Very high energy gamma-rays from GRB 180720B and GRB 190829A with external Compton emission

ABSTRACT Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) comprise short, bright, energetic flashes of emission from extragalactic sources followed by a longer afterglow phase of decreased brightness. Recent discoveries of very high energy (VHE, ≳100 GeV) afterglow emission from GRB 180720B and GRB 190829A by the High Energy Stereoscopic System have raised questions regarding the emission mechanism responsible. We interpret this observed late-time emission to be the result of inverse Compton emission of ultrarelativistic electrons in the GRB blast wave in an external radiation field, i.e. external Compton (EC), considering both the wind and interstellar medium scenarios. We present predictions of multiwavelength light curves and energy spectra, ranging from optical to VHE, and include the synchrotron and synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) radiation mechanisms as well. We corrected the EC and SSC models for the gamma-ray attenuation by absorption of photons through their interaction with the extragalactic background light. We compared our results to multiwavelength data and found that EC gives a satisfactory fit for a given set of fixed model parameters for GRB 180720B, whereas SSC results in a better fit for GRB 190829A. For both GRBs, a wind environment is preferred over constant-density interstellar medium, and the cosmic microwave background as the external radiation field. However, with more data and an effective optimization tool we can find a more robust fit of the model, implying better constraints on the GRB environment and the particle energy requirements for the emission observed at late times. This has consequences for future observations of GRBs at these extreme energies.

Multi-TeV dark matter density in the inner Milky Way halo: spectral and dynamical constraints

Abstract We develop a comprehensive study of the gamma-ray flux observed by the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) in 5 regions of the Galactic Center (GC). Motivated by previous works on a possible Dark Matter (DM) explanation for the TeV cut-off observed by H.E.S.S. in the innermost ∼ 15 pc of the Galaxy, we aim to constrain the DM distribution up to a radius of ∼ 450 pc from the GC. In this region, the benchmark approach (e.g. cosmological simulations and Galactic dynamics studies) fails to produce a strong prediction of the DM profile. Within our proof-of-concept analysis, we use DRAGON to model the diffuse background emission and determine upper limits on the density distribution of thermal multi-TeV Weakly Interactive Massive Particles (WIMPs), compatible with the observed gamma-ray flux. The results are in agreement with the hypothesis of an enhancement of the DM density in the GC with respect to the benchmark Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) profile (γ = 1) and allow us to exclude profiles with an inner slope cuspier than γ ≳ 1.3. We also investigate the possibility that such an enhancement could be related to the existence of a DM spike associated with the supermassive black hole Sgr A* at the GC. We find out that the existence of an adiabatic DM spike smoothed by the scattering off of WIMPs by the bulge stars may be consistent with the observed gamma-ray flux if the spike forms on an underlying generalized NFW profile with γ ≲ 0.8, corresponding to a spike slope of γsp-star = 1.5 and spike radius of R sp-stars ∼ 25 30 pc. Instead, in the extreme case of the instantaneous growth of the black hole, the underlying profile could have up to γ ∼ 1.2, a corresponding γsp-inst = 1.4 and R sp-inst ∼ 15–25 pc. Finally, the results of our analysis of the total DM mass enclosed within the S2 orbit (updated with new GRAVITY data) are less stringent than the spectral analysis. Our work aims to guide future studies of the GC region, with both current and next generation of telescopes. In particular, the next Cherenkov Telescope Array will be able to scan the GC region with improved flux sensitivity and angular resolution.

Modeling the Galactic center gamma-ray emission with more realistic cosmic-ray dynamics

Context. Very-high-energy gamma-ray observations of the Galactic center (GC) show extended emission that is strongly correlated with the morphology of the central molecular zone (CMZ). The best explanation for that emission is a hadronic interaction between cosmic rays (CRs) and ambient gas, where a CR central and continuous source accelerates protons up to 1 PeV (“PeVatron”). However, current models assume very simplistic CR dynamics. Aims. Our goal is to verify if more realistic CR dynamics for the GC environment are consistent with current gamma-ray observations, and whether they could be constrained by upcoming observations with the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). Methods. We generated synthetic gamma-ray maps using a CR transport model with spherical injection, different diffusion regimes (in and out of the CMZ), polar advection, and mono-energetic particles of 1 PeV, and including different CR populations injected from the Arches, Quintuplet, and nuclear clusters of young massive stars, plus supernova Sgr A East. We adopted two different 3D gas distributions consistent with the observed gas column density, either with or without an inner cavity. Results. In order to reproduce the existing observations detected by the High Energy Stereoscopic System (HESS), a ring-like gas distribution, with its mass set by the standard Galactic CO-to-H2 conversion factor, and CR acceleration from all relevant sources are required. For a conversion factor one order of magnitude lower, injection rates that are ten times higher are needed. We show that CTA will be able to differentiate between models with different CR dynamics, proton sources, and CMZ morphologies, owing to its unprecedented sensitivity and angular resolution. Conclusions. More realistic CR dynamics suggest that the CMZ has a large inner cavity and that the GC PeVatron is a composite CR population accelerated by the Arches, Quintuplet, and nuclear star clusters, and Sgr A East.

Multi-wavelength Study of HESS J1303-631 with 14 yr of Fermi-LAT Data

HESS J1303-631 is an extended TeV pulsar wind nebula powered by the pulsar PSR J1301-6305 detected with the High Energy Stereoscopic System. We present an analysis of the GeV γ-ray region of HESS J1303-631 with about 14 yr of Fermi Large Area Telescope data. The GeV γ-ray emission, coincident with the very-high-energy source, has a photon index of 1.69 ± 0.09 in 10–500 GeV band, and the GeV morphology has an extension to the same direction as indicated in the TeV band. Moreover, the observed multi-wavelength spectral energy distribution of the nebula is studied with a one-zone time-dependent leptonic model, in which the electrons/positrons injected into the nebula are assumed to have a broken power-law spectrum. The result indicates that the multi-wavelength non-thermal emission can be well reproduced via synchrotron radiation and inverse Compton scattering of the particles.

Impact of satellite trails on H.E.S.S. astronomical observations

Context. The number of satellites launched into Earth’s orbit has almost tripled in the last three years (to over 4000) due to the increasing commercialisation of space. Multiple satellite constellations, consisting of over 400 000 individual satellites, have either been partially launched or are proposed for launch in the near future. Many of these satellites are highly reflective, resulting in a high optical brightness that affects ground-based astronomical observations. Despite this caveat, the potential effect of these satellites on gamma-ray-observing Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) has largely been assumed to be negligible due to their nanosecond-scale integration times. However, this assumption has not been verified to date. Aims. As IACTs are sensitive to optical wavelength light, we aim to identify satellite trails in data taken by the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) IACT array. In particular, this study is aimed at quantifying the potential effects on data quality and extensive air shower event classification and reconstruction. Methods. Using night sky background measurements from H.E.S.S., we determined which observation times and pointing directions are affected most by these satellite trails. We then evaluated their impact on the standard Hillas parameter variables used for event analysis. Results. Due to the brightest trails, false trigger events can occur, however, for most modern analyses, the effect on astronomical results will be minimal. We observe a mild increase in the rate of trail detections over time (approximately doubling in three years), which is partially correlated with the number of satellite launches. Overall, the fraction of H.E.S.S. data affected (~0.2% of dark time observations) is currently minimal. We note that these trails could still have a non-negligible effect on future Cherenkov Telescope Array observations if advanced analysis techniques designed to lower the energy threshold of the instrument are applied.

Lepto-hadronic Interpretation of 2021 RS Ophiuchi Nova Outburst

Very-high-energy (VHE; 100 GeV < E ≤ 100 TeV) and high-energy (HE; 100 MeV < E ≤ 100 GeV) gamma rays were observed from the symbiotic recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi (RS Oph) during its outburst in 2021 August by various observatories, such as the High Energy Stereoscopic System (HESS), Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov (MAGIC), and Fermi-Large Area Telescope (LAT). The models that have been explored so far tend to favor a hadronic scenario of particle acceleration over an alternative leptonic scenario. This paper explores a time-dependent lepto-hadronic scenario to explain the emission from the RS Oph source region. We have used simultaneous low-frequency radio data observed by various observatories along with the data provided by HESS, MAGIC, and Fermi-LAT to explain the multiwavelength spectral energy distributions corresponding to 4 days after the outburst. Our results show that a lepto-hadronic interpretation of the source not only explains the observed HE-VHE gamma-ray data but the corresponding model synchrotron component is also consistent with the first 4 days of low-radio-frequency data, indicating the presence of nonthermal radio emission at the initial stage of the nova outburst. We have also calculated the expected neutrino flux from the source region and discuss the possibility of detecting neutrinos.

Current status and operation of the H.E.S.S. array of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes

The High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) is an array of five imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) to study gamma-ray emission from astrophysical objects in the Southern hemisphere. It is the only hybrid array of IACTs, composed of telescopes with different collection area and footprint, individually optimised for a specific energy range. Collectively, the array is most sensitive to gamma rays in the range of 100GeV to 100TeV. The array has been in operation since 2002 and has been upgraded with new telescopes and cameras multiple times. Recent hardware upgrades and changes in the operational procedures increased the amount of observing time, which is of key importance for time-domain science. H.E.S.S. operations saw record data taking in 2020 and 2021 and we describe the current operations with specific emphasis on system performance, operational processes and workflows, quality control, and (near) real-time extraction of science results. In light of this, we will briefly discuss the early detection of gamma-ray emission from the recurrent nova RS Oph and alert distribution to the astrophysics community.

Nuclear and electromagnetic cascades induced by ultra-high-energy cosmic rays in radio galaxies: implications for Centaurus A

ABSTRACT Very high energy (VHE) γ-rays ($\gtrsim\!\! 0.1\rm ~TeV$) and neutrinos are crucial for identifying accelerators of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs), but this is challenging especially for UHECR nuclei. In this work, we develop a numerical code to solve the transport equation for UHECRs and their secondaries, where both nuclear and electromagnetic cascades are taken into account self-consistently, considering steady UHECR accelerators such as radio galaxies. In particular, we focus on Centaurus A, which has been proposed as one of the most promising UHECR sources in the local Universe. Motivated by observations of extended VHE γ-ray emission from its kiloparsec-scale jet by the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.), we study interactions between UHECRs accelerated in the large-scale jet and various target photon fields including blazar-like beamed core emission, and present a quantitative study on VHE γ-ray signatures of UHECR nuclei, including the photodisintegration and Bethe–Heitler pair production processes. We show that VHE γ-rays from UHECR nuclei could be detected by the ground-based γ-ray telescopes given that the dominant composition of UHECRs consists of intermediate-mass (such as oxygen) nuclei.